Envelope



June 21 1927. `l ,633,369

W. H. HOLLAR, JR

ENVELOPE Filed June 12, 1926 /IV Vf /V TOR.' l WILL/AM H. HOLLAR,JH.

Patented June 21, 1927.

l UNITED STATES i WILLIAM H. HOLLAR, JR., 0F DREXEL HILL, PENNSYLVANIA..

ENVELQPE.

Application filed June 12,

It is the present practice for banks and other fiduciary organizationsto transmit, by mail, valuable documents, such as stock and bondcertificates, promissory notes, and other negotiable instruments, inenvelopes provided with ordinary sealing means. Despite the usualprecautions; such envelopes may be fraudulently opened by any personhaving temporary custody of the same, and without any indication uponthe exterior of such an envelope that it has been thus opened. Thefts ofsuch documents under such circumstances are frequently effected and, inmost cases, wit-hout discovery of the guilty party; because of the largenumber of persons through whose hands such mail passes. If such mail isofiicially registered or insured; the loss falls directly upon theGovernment which is also burdened with the cost of maintenance of whatis termed the Secret Service, the principal purpose and function ofwhich is to minimize, as far as possible, such losses.

Therefore, the principal object and effect of my invention is to providean envelope with means so constructed and arranged that it may beutilized to seclude such documents, in such manner that whenever theenvelope is opened, that fact is manifested by its sealing means whichare continually exposed for inspection. In the form of my inventionhereinafter described, such an envelope includes a flexible memberextending within the envelope closure, of such character as to securelyengage a document therein and having its ends presented exterior to theenvelope where they may be imbedded in a seal of frangible material; sothat, although such document secluding means is in no sense burglarproof, it is of such character as to manifest both to the officialregistry clerk who receives it for mailing and to the ultimate recipientaddressee, if any attempt has been made to open it.

My invention includes the various novel features of construction andarrangement hereinafter more definitely specified.

In said drawings; Fig. I is a perspective view of an envelope embodyingmy invention in triple sealed condition for mailing, or othertransmission.

Fig. II is a perspective view of said envelope, in which adocument hasbeen secured by quadruple binding means and i which is ready forsealing.

Fig. III is a perspective view, showing a 1926. Serial No. 115,526.

plurality of documents secured together by double binding means, inaccordance with my invention, but of simpler form than is indicated inFig. II.`

Fig. IV is a transverse, sectional view of an envelope of bellows form,adapted to seclude such a package of a plurality of documents as isindicated in Fig. III, but which may be expanded or contracted tocontain a larger or smaller package.

In each of said forms of my invention, the envelopes are convenientlyformed of a primarily plane sheet of heavy tough paper 1 having innerflaps 2 and 3 and outer flaps l and 5; said flaps 2, 3, and i beingstuck together with suitable adhesive material, and said flap 5 beingleft open asin Fig. II, but provided with dried adhesive material 7 atthe edge thereof which may be moistened to cause it to adhere to theother flaps in the closed position shown in Fig. I.

Referring to the form of my invention shown in Figs. I and II; theholder for the document or documents 9 is a. quadruple binder,conveniently formed of finecopper wires 10, 11, 12, and 13. Asindicated, said binder 10 extends longitudinally with respect to thedocument 9, forming a bight encircling it intermediate of its width;the' ends of said binder being twisted together at 15. Said binders 11,12, and 13 extend transversely with respect to said document 9, formingbights lencircling the same with their ends engaging the binder 10; theends of said binders being separately twisted together at 16, 17 and 18.

Said inside envelope flaps 2 and 3 have respective perforations 20 and21 registering with the end perforations of the series of threeperforations 23 in the envelope flap i; and the ends of said wirebinders 10, 11, 12, and 18 are primarily extended through saidregistered perforations in the envelope flaps, as indicated in Fig. II.Said envelope flap 5 has a series of three perforations 25 adapted torespectively register with said perforations 23 in the envelope flap 1,when said flap 5 is folded to closed position, as shown in Fig. I.Preliminary to such closure of the flap 5, the adhesive 7 thereon ismoistened and the binder wires aforesaid thrust through the respectiveperforations 25 which register therewith. Thereupon, said flap 5 may bepressed to cause the adhesive 7 to stick to the flaps 2, 3 and 4. Theends of the binder wires 10, 11, 12 and 13 are then bent upon theexterior ot the envelope, substantially parallel with the ilap 5i, andimbedded in sealing means 27 including a body of rahgible material,suchgas ordinary sealing wax, fused upon the exterior of the envelopeand adherent thereto.

ln the form of my invention shown in Figs. IH and IV; a plurality ofthree'doeu ments 28 are packed in a single bundle secured with thebinder comprising the wires 29 and 30 respectively encircling `the samelongitudinally and transversely. Said wires are primarily twistedtogether `in transverse relation at 3l, intermediate of their length,and have their ends twisted together at 3Q. for extension through theflaps ot the envelope. Of' course, suoli =package may be in serted in anenvelope of the specilic construction shown in Fips. l and Il.; the endsoit the wires 29 and 30 being` extended through the perforations 23 andQ5 respectively intermediate of the length oic the .envelope flaps eland 5, and said binder ends be bent and secured by the central sealingmeans 27 as above described. iowever, lfor packages comprising aplurality of documents, l iind it preferable to provide an envelope otbellows form, as indicated at 34 in Fig'. IV; it being` understood thatthe bellows edges 35 of such an envelope are extensible transversely tothe `plane-ot its flaps 4 and 5 to receive more or less bulky packagesof documents 28, or `other articles. Asindicated in Fig. lV; the ends ofthe` wires 9.9 and 30 which are `primari-ly extended rtogether throughthe regis tered openings 23 and 25 in the respective envelope flaps-fland 5, larebent substantially parallel with the plane of said Vllap 5and imbedded in the sealing' means 2'?.

Of course,my invention is applicable 'for transmission ot articles otherthan negotia ble paper documents. For instance, envelopes of thetypeindicated in Fig'. lV may be used to inclose boxes ,oit jewelry,laces,

and other commercial articles oi? value.

So far as l am aware, it is broadly novel to provide lan envelope witharticle holding means extending from the outside `to the inside of theenvelope, through the wall Vot the latter, in such position as todirectly engage an article within the envelope, and hold the flaps otthe envelope together and in such position as to be imbedded ,in sealingmeans `exterior to the envelope. However, generic claims for envelopesof that charac* ter are included in lmy icopending application `SerialNo. 100,330 tiled Apr-il i926 tor Letters Patent ot the Uni-ted States,with specic claims for ysuoli envelopes provided with meansparticularlyadapted tor securing lock keys. Therefore, I do not desire to limitmyself to the lprecise .details of construction, arrangement, `or methodof :use

,of lay intention aber@ described, as it is 0bvious that variouslmodifications may be made therein without departing from the essentialfeatures ot my invention, as defined in the appended claims.

AI claim-'z l. The combination with an envelope forined of flexiblesheet material, comprising overlapped and adherent flaps, and normallyopen only at one edge and there provided with a closure flap; of bindingmeans for securing an article of approximately the dimensions of theinterior of said envelope, including a `plurality of iiexible wiresarranged to encircle such article longitudinally and transversely, theends ot said holder wires being twisted together and extended outwardlythrough .registered perforatious in said overlapped flaps; the ends ofsaid holder wires being bent exterior' to saidfclosure flap,substantially lparallel with the lat ter: and sealing means including aplurality oi bodies or' trangible material, `fused upon the exterior ofsaid envelope, and adherent thereto, and respectively iinbedding theends of said transversely extendingbinder means; whereby it is necessaryVto brealt a plurality of said seals to release the article from saidinclosure.

2. The combination with an envelope formed of flexible sheet material,.includin,9,4- adhesive iiaps, and normally open only at one edge andthere provided with a closure liap; of holding means for securing anarticle of approximately the dimensions oit the interior oi saidenvelope, including` a plurality of flexible wires arranged to `encirclesuch article longitudinally and transversely, the ends of said vholderwires being twisted together and extended outwardly tl'irough registeredper-forations in said overlapped flaps; and sealing` means including* aplurality of bodies oii frangible material, .fused upon the exterior otsaid envelope, and ad* herent thereto, and respectively imbeddino; theends of said holder wires; whereby it is necessary to break a pluralityoi? said seals to release the article 'from said inclosuro.

3. The combination with an envelope formed olf flexible sheet material,including' overlapped flaps, and normally open only at one edge andthere provided with a closure tiap; of holding means tor securing); anarticle of approximately the dimensions oi' the interior of saidenvelope., incln-ding` means arranged to encircle such article.lonjzgitudinall-y `and .transver ly: said holding, means being' extendedoutwardly through perior-ationsl in said overlapped flaps; and sealingmeans including' a plurality ol.E bodies of `nangible material, upon theexterior of said envelope, and adherent thereto. and respectivelyeltgaging'the extended parts of said holding means; whereby it isneces--` sary to break a lplurality otsaid seals to release the article:from said ,inclosure 4i. The combination withan envelope; oit' lOl)article holding means for securing an imperforate article, including aplurality of flexible elements arranged to encircle such article, theends of said holder elements being extended outwardly throughperforations in said envelope; and sealing means including a pluralityof bodies of frangihle material, exterior to said envelope, attachedthereto, and respectively engaging the ends of said holder elements;whereby it is necessary to break a plurality of said seals to releasethe article from said inelosure.

The combination with an envelope; of holding means for securing animperforate article in the envelope inclosure, including a flexibleelement arranged to encircle such article and having its ends extendingto the exterior of said envelope in different regions, in spacedrelation; and respective sealing means, upon the exterior' of saidenvelope, independently securing the respective ends of said holdingmeans, in spaced relation.

6. The combination with an envelope, normally open only at one edge andthere provided wth a. closure flap; of holding means for securing animperforate article in the envelope inelosure, including a flexibleelement arranged to encircle such article and extend through aperforation in said flap; and sealing means including a body offrangible material, fused upon the exterior of said envelope, andadherent thereto, and imbedding the ends of said holder element; wherebyit is necessary to break said seal to release the article from saidinclosure.

7. The combination with an envelope; of holding means for securing animperforate article in the envelope inclosure, including an elementarranged to encircle the exterior ot said article and having aprotruding element extending exterior to said envelope; andfrangiblesealing means, upon the exterior of said envelope, arranged toengage said protruding element; whereby it is necessary to break saidseal to release such article from said envelope.

In testimony whereof,p I have hereunto signed my name at Philadelphia,Pennsylvania, this eleventh day of June, 1926.

WILLIAM H. HOLLAR, JR.

